CAT

While walking out in our neighbourhood, took a photo of this cat.

This post is part of the Camera Critters meme.

OLD GLORY

This post is part of the Weekend in Black and White meme,
and also part of the Weekly TopShot meme.

CRESCENT MOON

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

ROCK ROSE

The Cistaceae are a small family of plants (rock-rose or rock rose family) known for their beautiful shrubs, which are profusely covered by flowers at the time of blossom. This family consists of about 170-200 species in eight genera, distributed primarily in the temperate areas of Europe and the Mediterranean basin, but also found in North America; a limited number of species are found in South America.

Most Cistaceae are subshrubs and low shrubs, and some are herbaceous. They prefer dry and sunny habitats. Cistaceae grow well on poor soils, and many of them are cultivated in gardens.They often have showy yellow, pink or white flowers, which are generally short-lived. The flowers are bisexual, regular, solitary or borne in cymes; they usually have five, sometimes three, petals (Lechea). The petals are free, usually crumpled in the bud, and sometimes in the open flower (e. g. Cistus incanus shown here). It has five sepals, the inner three of which are distinctly wider, and the outer two are narrow and sometimes regarded as bracteoles. The sepal arrangement is a characteristic property of the family.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

CHALKIDA, GREECE

Chalcis or Chalkida, the chief town of the island of Euboea in Greece, is situated on the strait of the Evripos at its narrowest point. The name is preserved from antiquity and is derived from the Greek χαλκός ("chalkos" - copper, bronze), though there is no trace of any mines in the area. In the late Middle Ages, it was known as Negropont (Italian: Negroponte, "black bridge"), a name that was applied to the entire island of Euboea as well.

The town is now connected to the mainland Greece by two bridges, the "Sliding Bridge" in the west at the narrowest point of the Evripos Strait and a suspension bridge.The Evripos Strait which separates the city and the island from the mainland was bridged in 411 BC with a wooden bridge. In the time of Justinian the fixed bridge was replaced with a movable structure. The Turks replaced this once again with a fixed bridge. In 1856, a wooden swing bridge was built; in 1896, an iron swing bridge, and in 1962, the existing "sliding bridge"; the construction works of the 19th century destroyed the most part of the medieval castle built across the bridge. The cable stay suspension bridge which joins Chalcis to the mainland to the south was opened in 1993.

A unique phenomenon takes place at the straits of Evripos. The phenomenon is known as the "tide". Tides are the rise and fall or water levels. The strait of Evripos is subject to strong tidal currents which reverse direction approximately four times a day lasting for about six hours each. This creates an amazing sight for visitors from all over the world.

This post is part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Sunday Bridges meme.

POMEGRANATES

The pomegranate, botanical name Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between 5–8 meters (16–26 ft) tall.The pomegranate is widely considered to have originated in the vicinity of Iran and has been cultivated since ancient times.

Today, it is widely cultivated throughout the Mediterranean region of southern Europe, the Middle East and Caucasus region, northern Africa and tropical Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia and the drier parts of southeast Asia. Introduced into Latin America and California by Spanish settlers in 1769, pomegranate is also cultivated in parts of California and Arizona

]In the Northern Hemisphere, the fruit is typically in season from September to February. In the Southern Hemisphere, the pomegranate is in season from March to May.The pomegranate has been mentioned in many ancient texts, notably in Babylonian texts, the Book of Exodus, the Homeric Hymns and the Quran. In recent years, it has become more common in the commercial markets of North America and the Western Hemisphere.

Pomegranates are used in cooking, baking, juices, smoothies and alcoholic beverages, such as martinis and wine.

This post is part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

ORANGES & YELLOWS

Some Spring flowers that have quite striking orange and yellow colours.

This post is part of the Monday Mellow Yellows meme,
and also part of the Mandarin Orange Monday meme.

LADYBUG

This post is part of the Camera Critters meme

RHODODENDRON

The rhododendrons are looking glorious at the moment, such as this beauty in a neighbour's garden.

This post is part of the Weekly TopShot meme,
and also part of the Pink Saturday meme,
and also part of the I Heart Macros meme,
and also part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

FLIGHT

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.